Man accused of sexual assault sentenced to 24 months

YORK — — A North Carolina man accused of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl last summer was sentenced in York-Poquoson Circuit Court Tuesday to serve two years in prison.

Visiting Judge R. Bruce Long sentenced Steven Edwin Litman, 27, of the 2700 block of Ardsory Lane in Durham, to 24 months, but suspended all but six months of the term after he entered a guilty plea, said Barbara Cooke, assistant York-Poquoson Commonwealth's Attorney.

Litman was scheduled to enter a pretrial motion, but pleaded guilty instead to two misdemeanor charges, which included assault and battery and indecent exposure, Cooke said.

Long accepted Litman's plea and sentenced him the same day. Long gave Litman 12 months on each charge, Cooke said.

Litman originally faced three felony charges, which included two counts of indecent liberties with a child under the age of 15 and a count of carnal knowledge of a child without force between the age of 13 and 14, according to court records.

However, the Commonwealth Attorney's Office dropped one count of indecent liberties as part of the plea deal, Cooke said, and amended the remaining charges to the misdemeanors to which Litman pleaded guilty, according to court records.

Law enforcement officials said Litman was accused of sexually assaulting the girl on June 19, 2010 while visiting Grafton Station Apartments. He was a friend of the girl's family, police said.

The incident wasn't reported until last October, police said. He was arrested the same month in North Carolina, but fought extradition.